With This Ring? ~ Review

With This Ring?
A Novella Collection of Proposals Gone Awry

By Karen Witemeyer, Mary Connealy, 

Regina Jennings, and Melissa Jagears

Fans of these four authors can find an enjoyable escape within the pages of these four novellas.  

First up is Karen Witemeyer with The Husband Maneuver. Marietta Hawkins has had high hopes for Daniel Barrett these last three years. But when she overhears his plans she knows she needs to take action to get a proposal out of him. And if she has to resort to deception and manipulation to get him to promise to say "I do" she'll do it.

The second offering is from Regina Jennings with Her Dearly Unintended.  Katie Ellen has forever captured Josiah Huckabee's heart.  Only problem she sees him as little better than an annoyance. But when a heavy rain traps them at her farm with stranger they play the perfectly wedded couple (who seem intent on killing each other).  But Josiah is determined to keep Katie Ellen safe from this stranger who is acting mighty suspicious to their eyes.

Get ready for some eye rolling as Josiah and Katie Ellen attempt to pull off the act of playing newlyweds.

Mary Connealy fans will enjoy seeing Big John Conroy find and fight love in the Runaway Bride. Carrie Halsey is determined to escape the man who is getting her hand in marriage to pay her father's gambling debts.  To keep Carrie safe Big John needs to call on the Regulators to back him up and they are more than willing to help him out.  And maybe give him a nudge in the romance department.

The final offering is Engaging the Competition from Melissa Jagears.  Harrison Gray has always felt that he has had something to prove to Charlotte Andrews.  Scholarly speaking he's always excelled but when it came to shooting Charlotte was the champion.  And riding and roping she held her own. So when he glasses get broken he needs help and Charlotte is his not quite willing teacher's aid.

But two weeks in the same building just might help them clear up the grudges and hurts from the past. But with Charlotte promised to another is a schoolhouse romance a possibility?

This is a cute story collection that will entertain the reader, perfect for a afternoon with nothing to do as one can easily read one within a few hours.

I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher and Melissa Jagears in exchange for my honest review.

About the Book:

Sometimes Love is Found in the Most Unexpected Places!

Love isn't always a fairy tale, and it doesn't always go as planned. Sometimes the best stories, though, are the ones that are the most unexpected. Join Karen Witemeyer, Mary Connealy, Regina Jennings, and Melissa Jagears for novellas that celebrate the power of love to triumph... even when circumstances go awry! 

The Husband Maneuver When ranch foreman Daniel Barrett seems ready to leave her life forever, Marietta Hawkins decides to grab the reins on their relationship. But to have any hope of maneuvering him into a proposal, she has to act fast or risk losing him completely.

Her Dearly Unintended Josiah Huckabee just wanted to make sure Katie Ellen Watson was safe, but when the only bridge to her farm is washed out, the two find themselves alone. Alone, that is, until a menacing stranger appears. Maybe by pretending to be newlyweds, they'll save their reputations--but can pretending to be in love turn into the real thing? 

Runaway Bride Hired to help Carrie Halsey escape from a dangerous man intent on making her his wife, Big John Conroy never expected the job to interrupt his solitary Texas Ranger life. But now that he's promised to keep Carrie safe, he discovers he may just want to make a few more promises. 

Engaging the Competition Harrison Gray and tomboy Charlotte Andrews have been rivals for years. With Charlotte intended for someone else, it seems they'll never settle their differences until an accident changes things completely. When Charlotte breaks Harrison's glasses--without which he's nearly blind--she must help with his teaching position, and working together forces these former adversaries to reconsider everything.

Burning Proof ~ Review and Author Q and A

Burning Proof
Cold Case Justice #2
Janice Cantore

Abby Hart has decided to put the murders of her parents behind her.  The last hope she had for getting answers died the same day as her old partner.  But Asa Foster's dying words won't let Luke Murphy rest.  What did Asa mean when he said "There is proof"?  Luke and Woody are determined to follow up on Asa's words but not wanting to give Abby false hope of a resolution they keep their personal investigation quiet.  

But Abby's decision to leave the past behind makes an abrupt 360 degree turn when an arrest goes wrong.  Suddenly dealing with the ghosts of the past and the failures of the present becomes very important.  Abby has some decisions to make regarding her future - police officer, wife, missionary? Where will her heart lead her?

Ten years ago a young woman barely escaped from her abductor.  He was never caught.  This case has come to the attention of Luke and Woody and they are determined to help this victim find closure and peace.  But this case needs more than what they can bring to it - it needs Abby.

Burning Proof is the sequel to Drawing Fire where we are introduced to the characters.  This continues the story but we are given glimpses of someone behind the scenes who is determined to keep the Triple Seven murders unsolved.  And this unknown person will do anything to hide the truth forever.

Burning Proof is an exciting addition from the pen of Janice Cantore.  Delving into the mind of a officer who is suffering from doubts about her split second decision.  One gets a unique perspective of the law enforcement from Janice's own experiences as an officer.

Some questions are answered while new ones are raised.  Some sequels are just not up to the quality of the first book but there is no letdown in this second offering in the Cold Case Justice series.  If you like suspense in your fiction you need to read this book.

I was provided a complementary copy of this book by Tyndale House Publishers in exchange for my honest review.

Something like a sob and a groan escaped his lips. 

He raised his gun and fired. 

So did Abby. 

                                      ~from page 5

About the Book:

After months of investigating the brutal homicide of a young girl, Detective Abby Hart finally has the evidence she needs. But when the arrest goes terribly wrong, Abby begins to doubt her future as a police officer. As she wrestles with conflicting emotions, old questions about the fire that took her parents’ lives come back to haunt her.

“There is proof.” PI Luke Murphy can’t stop thinking about what Abby’s former partner, Asa Foster, mumbled just before he died. When he uncovers a clue to the murder of Abby’s parents and his uncle, he’s reluctant to tell Abby, despite his growing feelings for the beautiful detective.

A decade-old abduction case brings Luke and Abby together, but will his secret tear them apart?

Author Interview:

1) Tell us what spurred you on to became a writer after you retired from 22 years as a Long Beach Police Officer. 

  ~ I’ve always wanted to write. When I was a kid I wrote horse stories. I took a creative wiring class in college and my teacher really wasn’t very encouraging so I just put the desire on the shelf. It wasn’t until I’d been an officer for a few years and experienced the Rodney King riots that the desire to write took hold again. I tired writing stories about the riots, trying to convey all the emotions I felt at the time. Those stories never went anywhere, but I realized that I had a lot of stories in me and began writing, going to conferences and really working on the craft.

2) How did you come up with the idea for your Cold Case Justice series, Drawing Fire and Burning Proof? 

  ~ I love the program Castle, that was where the idea came from. I tweaked it, developed Luke and Abby, and went from there.

3) Are either of your characters Abby or Luke modeled after anyone you encountered during your days at the LBPD?

  ~ Not really. They are at most composites of people I worked with or came across.

4) As you reveal in Burning Proof…there are many struggles and stresses that come with being a police officer. You have certainly seen what a fatal event can do to the psyche of an officer, can you share what often goes on from an insider’s point of view? 

  ~ Tragedy can become routine. There needs to be a way to separate yourself from the situation, do your job, and not let the tragedy take you with it. I remember once, I was working the information desk at the downtown station so I didn’t personally handle the call, but officers responded to a horrible call, a man had drowned his two young children in the tub and then tossed their bodies into the dumpster behind his residence. It was a huge deal and I fielded many calls from news agencies. At the information desk I was tasked with giving out what ever public information we had to the press, or anyone who inquired. This meant I had to talk about the event over and over an it began to get aggravating. The press wanted details we couldn’t give and they just kept calling. At one point the press officer, who’d been working many hours overtime, came to the front desk to ask me about the calls and to get some help with the press release. In police work DB means ‘dead body’ and it’s a commonly used abbreviation. Well, the bodies had been recovered from a dumpster, so they became dumpster babies, the abbreviation DB hit us right between the eyes and we began to laugh about the initials, the kind of punch drunk laughing that happens when you’re too tired and too stressed. It was not a funny situation, but sometimes you got so close to bad stuff that laughter was the only way to relieve the pressure. The pressure does need to be relieved, too many officers commit suicide because they internalize all the negative.

Cold Shot ~ Review with Giveaway and Sneak Peek

Cold Shot
Chesapeake Valor #1
By Dani Pettrey

Griffin McCray thought he could leave the pain of the past behind him, but when non-Civil War era remains are found at Gettysburg he's about to have a reunion with his past.

Finley Scott's archaeological dig was the last place one would expect to be a crime scene.  But it is and someone wants to keep it a cold case forever.  And they'll do anything to keep it that way, even murder.

Years ago Griffin's world was forever altered fracturing the friendships of his youth.  But this case is about to draw them together again. Drawing on their unique skill sets with various branches of law-enforcement Griffin, Declan Gray, and Parker Mitchell are about to team up with Finley Scott.  Can they determine not only the identity of their victim but also the motive?  The deeper they dig the more disturbing this case becomes.

Fans of Dani's Alaskan Courage series will enjoy this change of scene with the debut of her newest series Chesapeake Valor.  The ties that bind in this series are friendship rather than family but these ties are just as strong.  These are characters that are likable and ones with whom one can empathize as they each still deal with the loss of a good friend - Luke Gallagher.  But who is Luke Gallagher? And why did he disappear all those years ago?  What truths will be revealed?

I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher Bethany House in exchange for my honest review.

Click here for a 

Cold Shot Sneak Peek

About the Book:

In college, Griffin McCray and his four best friends had their lives planned out. Griffin and Luke Gallagher would join the Baltimore PD. Declan Gray would head to the FBI, and Parker Mitchell would go on to graduate school as a crime scene analyst. But then Luke vanished before graduation and their world–and friendships–crumbled.

Now Griffin is a park ranger at Gettysburg, having left life as a SWAT-team sniper when a case went bad. The job is mostly quiet–until the day he captures two relic hunters uncovering skeletal remains near Little Round Top. Griffin just wants the case to go away, but charming forensic anthropologist Finley Scott determines that the body is modern–a young social justice lawyer missing since spring–and all evidence points to the work of an expert sniper.

When FBI agent Declan Gray takes over the case, past and present collide. Griffin soon realizes he’ll need to confront some of the darkest days of his life if he–and those he cares about–are going to escape a downward spiral of murder that crosses continents.

About the Author: 

Dani Pettrey is a wife, home-schooling mom, and the acclaimed author of the brand new romantic suspense Chesapeake Valor series, as well as the well-loved Alaskan Courage series which includes her bestselling novels Submerged, Shattered, Stranded, Silenced, and Sabotaged. She feels blessed to write inspirational romantic suspense because it incorporates so many things she loves–the thrill of adventure, nail biting suspense, the deepening of her characters’ faith, and plenty of romance. She and her husband reside in Maryland, where they enjoy time with their daughters, son-in-law, and super-adorable grandson.

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A Sweet Misfortune ~ Review

A Sweet Misfortune
Vices and Virtues of the Old West #2
By Maggie Brendan

Rachel Matthews is trying to save money to redeem the deed to her family's ranch from her brother's friend John McIntyre.  And the only option she can find to earn money and provide her with a roof over head is to work as a dance hall girl at the Wild Horse.

When her brother gets word of what Rachel is doing he pleads with the only man he trusts to rescue his little sister before it is too late.  His friendship with Preston is the only thing that would make John bring Rachel into his home.  After all she's been performing as a dance hall girl, who knows what else she may have done in the performance of her profession!  She may now be a soiled dove.

John is determined to have the largest spread in Montana and dealing with Rachel and her resentments isn't a priority in his opinion.  But Rachel isn't about to be pushed into a corner and forgotten until her brother makes a reappearance in her life.  Rachel is kind-hearted, concerned about those around her and she's stubbornly determined to continue earning money towards her ranch.

But Rachel and John are both about to be dealt setbacks that change not only the course of their lives but could end their dreams.  Can these two discover what is truly important in their lives before it is too late?

Though Rachel's past as a saloon hall dancer is known and everyone is properly scandalized she is still shockingly a highly sought after potential bride.  What I find interesting is that before her extraction from the Wild Horse no one was too concerned about her welfare, she was.one of the forgotten who had no where to go when they were in need.

This is the second book in the Vices and Virtues of the Old West series, but it can be a stand-alone book as the characters and setting are unique.  The commonality between the first two books is the Montana Territory and the 1860s.  This book is what I call escape reading - something to pick-up for quick week-end read.  There are the usual romantic elements - boy and girl meet, boy-and-girl deny feelings, danger, other potential suitors, etc.  In my opinion this is an o'kay book, not awful but not great.  I don't bemoan the loss of time spent reading this book as it provided a welcome diversion from an especially trying week.  

I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher Revell in exchange for my honest review.


About the Book:
Rachel Matthews isn't one to rely on others to take care of her. Homeless and alone, she still wants to make her own way and her own money to buy back the family ranch--even if she's forced into the life of a dance hall girl. Horrified by her circumstances, Rachel's brother, who is away mining for gold, sends a friend to rescue her.

Cattle baron John McIntyre is focused on acquiring as much land as possible in Montana and has little time to deal with a dance hall gal. Rachel isn't sure she can take one more day in John's home--especially once she discovers that he's the one who holds ransom the key to her family's future.

Sparks fly between this spunky, independent heroine and the ruggedly handsome hero as they navigate the snarled terrain of pride, greed, faith, and love in Maggie Brendan's delightful series set in the Old West.

Maggie Brendan is the CBA bestselling author of the Heart of the West series and the Blue Willow Brides series, as well as The Trouble with Patience. Her books have received the Book Buyers Best Award from the Orange County Chapter of Romance Writers of America and the Laurel Wreath Award. She lives in Georgia.

On Lone Star Trail ~ Review

On Lone Star Trail
Texas Crossroads #3
By Amanda Cabot

It was suppose to be a chance to escape from the pain of the past. But a motorcycle crash quickly disrupts the plans of both Gillian Hodge and TJ Benjamin.

Gillian is returning to Rainbow's End to visit with her best friend Kate.  Hoping to find peace and further healing from the accident that left her life without direction, Gillian is unprepared for her latest encounter with a motorcycle and its rider.

TJ is trying come to terms with the loss of his life.  He's given up everything he knew trying to deal with both his pain and his anger.  Seeking solitude, he never planned on ending up at Rainbow's End, but after wrecking his motorcycle he had to rely on the kindness of strangers.

Kate and Greg are soon to become first time parents.  Marissa and Blake are newly married.  And the displaced apartment fire residents are calling the RVs in Firefly Valley their temporary home.  It is in this changing landscape that TJ and Gillian find themselves.  And when a landscape is in period of change opportunities are sure to arise that will give two hurting people a chance to rediscover a purpose in their lives.

Life is never easy and when what we have come to know is taken away from us we are left with a choice in how we respond to these challenges.  And how we respond is important.  Like so many who have come before them Gillian and TJ are about to discover that the path to healing and peace is not easy and it isn't accomplished on one's own.  One has to surrender control or the illusion of control to God.

This is the final book in the Texas Crossroads series and it is not a letdown from the previous two books in the series.  The town of Dupree is growing. Rainbow's End is becoming known for its peace and healing.  And the various characters we have gotten to know have grown into people one would love to call friend.  I have to admit if it wasn't for the Texas heat I wouldn't mind calling the area home myself.

I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher Revell in exchange for my honest review.


About the Book:

A woman without a future. 

A man running from the past.

One enchanting place where broken dreams are mended.

If there's one thing Gillian Hodge never wants to see again, it's a man on a motorcycle. Her last encounter with one left her right hand crushed, ending her promising career as a concert pianist. Unsure about the next phase in her life, she heads to Rainbow's End Resort for some R and R when a sudden thunderstorm causes a motorcycle to crash right in front of her.

When TJ Benjamin's wife died, he lost more than his best friend; he lost his faith. He has spent the past year wandering the country on his motorcycle, trying not to think about the future. When he finds himself stranded with a busted bike and a reluctant rescuer, he has to wonder about God's sense of humor.

As these broken people collide, they find that a bright future is still ahead--it just might not be the one they imagined for themselves.

Amanda Cabot is the bestselling author of the Texas Dreams series, the Westward Winds series, Christmas Roses, At Bluebonnet Lake, and In Firefly Valley. Her books have been finalists for the ACFW Carol Awards and the Booksellers' Best. She lives in Wyoming. Learn more at www.amandacabot.com.